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Squamish Valley Music Festival capacity increased to 35,000 per day for 2014

Three-day music event's expansion will mean bigger acts on stage

The crowds at the 2013 Squamish Valley Music Festival could swell up to 35,000 people per day thanks to an approval by the city's minicipal council.

Photograph by: BONNY MAKAREWICZ
, PNG

Is the Squamish Valley Music Festival destined to go from being the little festival that could to the major festival that can?

With a planned expansion to give its site a 35,000-person capacity starting next year up from an estimated 19,000 this year, almost doubling its size, the festival could very well be on its way.

In a deal signed with the District of Squamish Tuesday night, promoters Live Nation and brand. LIVE have made a clear statement they want the four-year-old Squamish music festival (formerly know as LIVE at Squamish) to become a landmark event on the festival circuit in the near future.

The festival will be moving from its current location at Hendrickson Fields & Logger Sports Ground to the neighbouring Centennial Fields in 2014.

The expansion promises to pave the way for additional programming, more camping and improved transportation to and from the site.

More importantly, the site’s increased capacity could lead to bigger acts gracing the festival’s stages as Squamish aims to join the ranks of Montreal’s Osheaga, Chicago’s Lollapalooza (both held Aug. 2-4) and San Francisco’s Outside Lands festivals (held Aug. 8-10).

The festival arguably changed its date from late to early August this year in a bid to eventually align its programming with those events.

“We are looking at some of the top talent that you’re going to see out on the festival circuit next year,” brand. LIVE executive producer Paul Runnals said in a phone interview. “There’s no doubt about that.”

Exact accommodation and transportation improvement details are still being finalized, but strong demand for this year’s festival is one factor driving the need for expansion.

Average attendance over the past three instalments of the festival has ranged from 8,000 to 13,000 daily, the festival growing each year as it keeps attracting a wide range of fans of all ages, with hotels and camping sites in the area fully booked months in advance.

The festival has greatly expanded its camping capacity in the last two years, offering 4,500 camping spots in 2013. Camping for 2013 is nearly sold out already, and Runnals estimated attendance could reach 16,000 to 18,000 festivalgoers daily this year. Camping capacity could be increased to as many as 9,000 spots next year.

“We’ve done some fairly heavy consulting,” Runnals said when asked about the 35,000 figure for 2014. “We didn’t just pick a number. We’ve crunched the numbers to figure out what the (Squamish) valley can support. Truth is the numbers we’re getting are higher than what we’re going for next year but, as we said all along, we want the growth to be sustainable year over year so we don’t end up with massive traffic issues or massive neighbourhood issues.

“We want to do a good job at 35,000 and see whether or not we have a go beyond that. That’s to be seen.”

“The District of Squamish and the people of Squamish have welcomed this festival and see it as an incredible opportunity both for ourselves and for the people of Vancouver because we’re so close,” District of Squamish Mayor Rob Kirkham said via phone. “We’re looking forward to the festival continuing to grow and prosper.”

Live Nation and brand. LIVE currently have a deal to hold the Squamish Valley Music Festival in the District of Squamish until 2022.

The 2013 Squamish Valley Music Festival takes place Aug. 9-10 (with a kickoff party in the evening of Aug. 8) and will feature headliners Vampire Weekend and Queens of the Stone Age, along with Vancouver indie favourite Dan Mangan, hip-hop duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Seattle rock group Band of Horses, rap group Jurassic 5, Gypsy rock band Gogol Bordello and electronic artist Pretty Lights, among others.

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